The document discusses best practices for instructional designers, including strategies for working with new clients such as using face time, presenting early deliverables virtually, and mentoring subject matter experts. It also recommends starting by understanding what learners need to do, providing education for new SMEs, and avoiding redundant audio narration.

1. P E R S P E CT I V E S F R O M T H E
N O R T H AM E R I C AN I D G R O U P :
Best Practices 2013
C H R I S TA
J AN E T
R U T H
S AR A
TAM I

2. OVERVIEW
Strategies for New Clients:
• Face time
• Virtual meetings to present early deliverables (LDBs and storyboards)
• Mockups and prototypes
• Mentoring SMEs on elearning terminology and processes
• Proposing new design approaches for the right client
Other Strategies:
• Suggesting new ideas to the client before storyboarding
• Designing interactive tools to help users make sense of complex processes
• Working closely with SMEs to design realistic scenarios
• Self-study to learn new tools
Recommendations:
• Start by asking “What do learners need to do?”
• Provide education and tools for new SMEs
• Avoid using redundant audio with text
Best Practices 2013

3. • Face time
• Virtual meetings to present early deliverables (LDBs and storyboards)
• Mockups and prototypes
• Mentoring SMEs on elearning terminology and processes
• Proposing new design approaches for the right client
Strategies for New Clients

4. “FACE TIME” WITH NEW CLIENTS
Best Practices 2013
Hess — a new client, also new to e-learning
Sara went onsite to visit this new client and present her
design ideas to the executive team. She was able to
capture their thoughts and impressions in person and
answer any questions they had.
When actual face time was not feasible, web-ex or screen
shares worked very well. They allowed the client to walk
through examples to visually show and tell us things or
vice versa.

5. PROVIDING MOCK-UPS AND PROTOTYPES
For new clients, such as Hess, providing mock-ups of various
screen types is critical. This client was/is all about “the look.”
They needed to see exactly how “their” content was going to
look in the finished course.
Intuition did initial mock-ups, but before developing the entire
course, Media created a few sample screens to show the
company using signed-off storyboard content.
With their approval, we could feel safer moving forward to
develop the rest of the screens. This also put the client more
at ease seeing samples of the “real thing.”
Best Practices 2013

6. PROPOSING NEW DESIGN APPROACHES -
FOR THE RIGHT CLIENT
MetLife Audit Methodology:
• Started with short analysis project & in-person client meeting
• Agreed on problem-based, story-driven approach with a
single storyline throughout
This approach needed high interactivity and new screen types.
The course was sold as silver-level (and came in under budget):
• PM was ready to move budget items around to fit the project
• Client was willing to draft scenarios and problems
• Media and graphics worked collaboratively with ID from early
stages of project to work out new screen types and custom
screens
• We used a somewhat iterative process to get informal client
approval on ideas and screens before moving on
Best Practices 2013

7. • Suggesting new ideas to the client before storyboarding
• Designing interactive tools to help users make sense of complex
processes
• Working closely with SMEs to design realistic scenarios
• Self-study to learn new tools
Other Strategies

8. • AIG asked us to create a “showpiece” gold-level course for a new
department.
• The client wanted something interactive, with a modern look and
feel.
• The ID met with the client several times before the storyboard
phase, and suggested a problem-based design for interactivity.
This reinforced the goal for learners to refer to policy when
unsure of what to do.
• These meetings not only improved the course and its delivery
approach, but also created client buy-in so the rest of our
collaboration was more fruitful.
PROPOSING IDEAS TO THE CLIENT BEFORE
CREATING THE STORYBOARD
Best Practices 2013

9. TAKING COMPLEX DOCUMENTS “LIVE”
Bank of America needed to unite their massive Bankruptcy
department (scattered over five states and three time zones)
and help individual teams recognize potential errors faster.
How? Begin by recognizing 40 separate technical forms.
The Interactive Process Map delivered animated full-size
versions of the 40 different forms, allowing people from
disparate locations to “see” a correct form – and get a chance
to “catch” an erroneous one – early in the process.
Best Practices 2013

11. SUCCESSFUL ONE-ON-ONES
During a challenging project for BAC way back in the early part
of the year, we were asked to produce a course with realistic
scenarios. Without the knowledge of the inner workings of the
biz, this was a daunting task. However, with a willing SME
team with the background knowledge we lacked, we were
able to pull it off! And we got to know a few strangers across
the globe a bit better too.
With realistic dialogue, our videos of scenarios were
believable and had impact for learners.
Best Practices 2013

12. PUT YOURSELF IN THE “DRIVER’S SEAT”
Knowledge is power! This was definitely true in the case of
some systems training we developed in 2013. As usual, the
timelines were tight and the client desired useful simulations
of procedures using their new system. Taking the time to get
some background on how to use Adobe Captivate paid off!
The media team was able to take the simulations and run with
them without any additional time from the client.
A little self study went a long way and was pretty fun to learn
too.
Best Practices 2013

13. • Start by asking “What do learners need to do?”
• Provide education and tools for new SMEs
• Avoid using redundant audio with text
Recommendations

14. START BY ASKING
“WHAT DO LEARNERS NEED TO DO?”
• Let’s talk to clients about performance, not just content
We shouldn’t start by communicating content; we should start by finding out what learners need to
be able to do. This makes all the difference in deciding what and how much content is important.
• Let’s look at interaction as a mental exercise, not a screen type – online functionality
should be a reason to think, not just clicking to display things.
If we start by finding out what users need to be able to do, then we can design interactions to help
them learn and practice those activities, and build the content around the interactions. This will
result in fresher, more meaningful courses.
• Let’s have empathy for our users and plan courses we could learn with ourselves.
By keeping the user more firmly in mind throughout our entire process, we can advocate for the
learner and design more effective and engaging courses.
Recommendations

15. “SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS A STORYBOARD?”
TOOLS TO HELP NEW CLIENTS “LEARN” E -LEARNING
Developing a fresh, original piece of learning can be an exciting, creative process - for clients and for us.
Before we meet with teams who are new to e-learning, we should provide some simple, thoughtful “tools”
to help guide expectations about what is about to happen.
For example, before the first kickoff call, we can provide a one-page “How To Be A Great SME” worksheet,
which will prepare client team members for content collection, give examples of actionable feedback and
show what various parts of the course involve. Sometime just seeing what a “storyboard” involves helps!
Understanding what will happen next helps set the stage for better discussions and fewer surprises as the
creativity starts to flow. Recognizing how much time and energy might be needed from them at various
points in the project can ease stress later, and helps clients prepare for the realities of these tasks.
People like to contribute – and they will, if they know what is expected.
Recommendations

16. SOME AUDIO GUIDELINES
Many respected learning experts discourage the use of redundant audio narration with onscreen text.
Just a few references are included below (we can provide many more … ).
Instead of pricing/selling courses with a certain number of minutes/hours of audio, we recommend an
audio strategy that fits the needs of the particular course. (see example on next slide)
References: Disadvantages of Redundant Audio Narration/Onscreen Text
Recent studies show that users learn more with silent text and self-pacing than with audio narration and controlled pacing.
http://blog.cathy-moore.com/2010/09/do-we-really-need-narration/
Narration depresses learning, increases cognitive load, takes control from learners, and weakens motivation.
http://blog.cathy-moore.com/2007/07/should-we-narrate-on-screen-text/
There are many good reasons not to include audio narration, so you should be able to articulate a clear instructional reason
before you decide to narrate.
http://info.alleninteractions.com/bid/51359/Narration-in-e-Learning-Careful-the-things-you-say
Recommendations

17. SOME AUDIO GUIDELINES
When should we use audio narration?
• In scenarios (especially with multiple voices)
• To explain a complex custom diagram, detailed custom image, etc. (not the usual stock images)
• To narrate an animation – this can replace text with audio and graphics
What approach could we take if a course has been sold with “full audio”?
If the client is open to it, we can propose an audio strategy that fits the course.
Example: The 10-hour, 20-SCO Welch Allyn curriculum was sold with full audio. In the LDB, we
proposed an audio strategy that includes a brief narrated introduction on most screens, and uses full
narration only on screens with complex graphics or scenarios (with very little onscreen text). The client
fully agreed with this strategy.
Audio Pricing Recommendation:
This kind of overall strategy could be adapted for a new kind of pricing for audio – instead of pricing
audio by the minute, we could develop an audio pricing model based on learning goals, audience, etc.,
that is in line with current research guidelines. This could then be easily pulled into proposals and
SOWs.
Recommendations

18. RECAP
Strategies for New Clients:
• Face time
• Virtual meetings to present early deliverables (LDBs and storyboards)
• Mockups and prototypes
• Mentoring SMEs on elearning terminology and processes
• Proposing new design approaches for the right client
Other Strategies:
• Suggesting new ideas to the client before storyboarding
• Designing interactive tools to help users make sense of complex processes
• Working closely with SMEs to design realistic scenarios
• Self-study to learn new tools
Recommendations:
• Start by asking “What do learners need to do?”
• Provide tools for new SMEs
• Avoid using redundant audio with text
Best Practices 2013